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Ball State's Malik Dunner dodges the defense during the home game against Central Connecticut State on Thursday night. The game ended with a Ball State win and a final score of 42-6. Corey Ohlenkamp/Star Press

Ball State's Riley Miller tips off an incomplete long pass during the home game against Central Connecticut State on Thursday night. The game ended with a Ball State win and a final score of 42-6. Corey Ohlenkamp/Star Press

Ball State's Malik Dunner dodges the defense during the home game against Central Connecticut State on Thursday night. The game ended with a Ball State win and a final score of 42-6. Corey Ohlenkamp/Star Press

Ball State's Yo'Heinz Tyler makes a catch for a Ball State touchdown during the home game against Central Connecticut State on Thursday night. The game ended with a Ball State win and a final score of 42-6. Corey Ohlenkamp/Star Press

Ball State's Markice Hurt Jr. is taken down by the defense during the home game against Central Connecticut State on Thursday night. The game ended with a Ball State win and a final score of 42-6. Corey Ohlenkamp/Star Press

Ball State's Yo'Heinz Tyler breaks away from the defense for a running touchdown during the home game against Central Connecticut State on Thursday night. The game ended with a Ball State win and a final score of 42-6. Corey Ohlenkamp/Star Press

Ball State's Yo'Heinz Tyler catches a pass from Riley Neal and runs for a touchdown against Central Connecticut State on Thursday night in Scheumann Stadium during Ball State's home opener. Corey Ohlenkamp/Star Press

Ball State's Yo'Heinz Tyler catches a pass from Riley Neal and runs for a touchdown against Central Connecticut State on Thursday night in Scheumann Stadium during Ball State's home opener.(Photo11: Corey Ohlenkamp/Star Press)Buy Photo

Story Highlights

Ball State piled up a program-record 654 yards in a 42-6 win over Central Connecticut State.

MUNCIE, Ind. — Riley Neal’s night was done in the third quarter. Same for James Gilbert. But they wanted to be out there for the final play of Thursday night’s 42-6 win over Central Connecticut State.

So they asked head coach Mike Neu if they could go out there for what’s called “victory formation,” where the quarterback simply takes a knee to run out the clock. Neu agreed that they had earned that right. It had been a long time coming for the duo that sat out the final nine games of 2017 and watched nine infuriating losses.

“Coach Joey Lynch always tells us that the best play on offense (is victory formation),” Gilbert said. “It was a great feeling to get our team a first win and show them how we do things here at Ball State.”

This was Mike Neu’s first game calling plays, and all the offense did was produce a program-record 654 total yards. Not a bad debut, huh?

Neu downplayed his role in it, calling it a group effort and crediting offensive coordinator Joey Lynch for the passing plays and offensive line coach Kyle DeVan for the running ones.

It’s just one game, but Ball State was moving the ball all over the field. Some have been critical in the past about the lack of downfield passes, but there were numerous deep balls Thursday. And Riley Neal, who was 23 of 30 passing for 259 yards and two touchdowns, was very accurate. He could have had a third touchdown if Justin Hall didn’t drop a wide-open 41-yard touchdown pass.

“He knows I wasn’t worried about that,” Neal said of the drop. “And it was obvious, because I came back to him the next two plays. He obviously made up for it and he’ll continue to do that throughout the year. Him dropping that pass is the least of my concerns.”

The running back trio of James Gilbert, Caleb Huntley and Malik Dunner lived up to the hype. And Markice Hurt gives Ball State’s four options in the backfield. Ball State won’t rush for 316 yards every game, but this group is setting a high standard. The way Neu distributed the carries among the backs – Gilbert had 14, Huntley eight and Dunner five with four catches – is probably what is to be expected. Each would have had a few more touches if it wasn’t such a blowout.

Ball State has a lot of weapons. Neal was careful not to say this is the most talented group he has worked with for fear of slighting some former teammates, but it’s clear he’s excited about the offense.

“I’ve been blessed with a lot of guys here, from Jordan Williams to KeVonn Mabon and a lot of guys in between, but I really do feel that we have a lot of guys here,” Neal said. “The depth is just incredible with those four running backs and some younger guys coming through here.”

The new 3-4 defense will have more challenging opponents ahead, like next week at Notre Dame, but this was obviously a great start. Central Connecticut State really moved the ball well on its opening drive with 56 yards, but it didn’t really threaten until it finally scored with 12 seconds left.

“It feels really good to get out there after Nov. 21,” said inside linebacker Jacob White, who had a sack and was second with four tackles. “It’s been so long. We switched to the 3-4, and we love it. We had a blast tonight. Unfortunately we couldn’t come up with a goose egg, but it’s all good.”

It’s important to not overreact one way or the other against an FCS team, but there are some positive signs with this defense. For one, it didn’t let up any big plays. To beat good teams, it will probably have to force more turnovers (Ball State forced one, and it was on special teams) and get to the quarterback (White had the only sack as several others narrowly missed chances).

“I don’t like talking about last year, but I feel like we broke more than we bent, and I feel like tonight we bent and didn’t break,” White said. “That’s what you want as a defense. People are going to move the ball nowadays. That’s the nature of the spread offense and how things have changed. Just bend, don’t break, and that’s what we did tonight.”

There has been some buzz about Tyler during training camp because of his ability to rise over defenders and get the ball. But the true freshman seemed to be a ways away from contributing. Well, I think Neu is going to have to figure out how to get him on the field more.

After not playing in the first half, Tyler was targeted three times in the second half. One was a 20-yard touchdown on a fade route to the end zone. Another was a 63-yard catch-and-run. And the last one, he drew a pass interference call. As far as college debuts go, he couldn’t have been much better.

“When he got out there and got his opportunity tonight, he certainly was not big-eyed. He handled the stage quite well,” Neu said. “… Humble kid, though. I know he would certainly would tell you that he wishes he got a better release on that fade throw that drew a pass interference. Yo’Heinz is just scratching the surface. He wants to be good and wants to work at it.”

Neu said that it’s natural for freshmen to progressively play more as the season goes on, and he noted that there are a lot of other receivers that the staff likes as well. But as Neu commented in the preseason, the 6-foot-3 Tyler gives the offense the type of threat it wouldn’t otherwise have. Tyler will be a factor this season, as he showed Thursday.